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Councillor Mick Grant said: "Why are the Conservative Group on the council not taking their responsibility seriously, don’t they realise people have a genuine need of their rightful entitlements in times of great difficulty.

Councillor Mick Grant has said the council are not taking their responsibility seriously.

"Firstly they spend less than 10 per cent of the allocated discretionary housing payments and to add insult to injury, double the amount of council tax payment that those on low incomes will have to stump up.

"The Tories say that work should pay, so why the vicious cuts?"

Meanwhile, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Rob Waltham, has said that it is right for residents to pay for services they use.

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He said: "Both the Government and the council fund a range of support to help people get in to work. It is only right that residents who use council services contribute towards them.

North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham has said "it is right" for residents to contribute to council services if they use them. (Image: David Haber)

"It is completely unfair that when someone who works on a low wage is paying all of their council tax, whilst unemployed people who access the same services have their council tax subsidised.

"Let me be clear I want unemployed residents in work and aspiring towards better paid work and paying all of their council tax, not having it subsidised by other North Lincolnshire taxpayers.

"The move is consistent with our approach on discretionary housing support, where we encourage residents to meet their household expenses rather that pay for luxuries such as cigarettes and Sky TV."

The plans for increased contributions will come into force next April and will see the existing subsidy for pensions and people who are disabled remain in place.

The move comes after Housing and Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, announced that councils will be able to increase council tax by three per cent, up from two per cent, without the need for a referendum.

North Lincolnshire Council will set the rate for 2018-19 at a budget meeting on February 22.